


No More Shall I Fail Him

by redfiona



Category: Lord of the Rings (2001 2002 2003)
Genre: Angst, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-01-04
Updated: 2002-01-04
Packaged: 2017-10-07 16:12:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/66805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redfiona/pseuds/redfiona
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aragorn's thoughts as the Fellowship of the Ring ends.</p>
            </blockquote>





	No More Shall I Fail Him

~~~~

He thinks he failed us. He went to his death thinking he failed us. Thinking that we thought that he had failed us.

Boromir, you didn't!

I want to shout it so the world can hear, so loud that even he can. But this comes too late.

He did a bad thing, a wicked deed, he admitted as much. And repented, not just in word, but in deed. For no creature of evil would have done as he did.

But we're only men, fallible, untrustworthy, weak. Ask Elrond, ask any elf who had to see my ancestor wreck everything. He was the strongest of us, and the weakest, the ring sought him out, and found him fitting for its purpose. He only wanted to protect, much though I know the ring would have used him for ill. And I know that from history, but how could he? He was not brought up with that knowledge, few today are.

The ring spoke to him of Gondor and of the White City, of his brother and his people. Who could resist that?

He didn't fail us. Not truly, not in the end, not when all is weighed up.

We failed him.

Each and every single one of us. Except maybe the elf. Mirkwood and Gondor, two lands in more jeopardy than they should be. I curse Isildur again. And myself, and the elves, and the dwarves and everything else. We should have protected Gondor, not have it protect us. And then the White City would be in no danger, and then Boromir wouldn't have fallen.

Or perhaps he would, the ring is strong, and we are weak. We foolish menfolk.

But of all those who failed him, I failed him the most. I was his king. I should have protected him and Gondor. But I failed him. I hid, pretended not to be who I was, am and ever shall be. None of the others have shirked their task, they are noblemen all, and all have had the pressures of it on their shoulders. Not I who ran.

Or they are Hobbits, and they don't shirk. Not these four. Whatever happened they carried on, through it all. I wish I were as strong as they.

I can hear his voice, telling at me to have pity, and give everyone rest for a while. But now as then, we are in mortal danger from Orcs and those other creatures. We must also save those two Hobbits.

And for Merry and Pippin we must continue, because if they too fall, then we will truly have failed him. And I, Aragorn, son of Arathorn, refuse to fail him further.

~~~~


End file.
